Opinion in America is made up of two elements: there is the instinctive traditional policy of isolation dating from the days of George Washington; but there is a latent idealism among Americans which can always be got out in any big Crisis in World Affairs.

We can hope that it will be taken more seriously than other analyses of the problem and suggested solutions to it, since we have now reached a Crisis in World Affairs because of the actions of the OPEC countries.

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that part of the Crisis in World Affairs underlined by the ISs report issued yesterday is that a large and articulate section of world opinion is tired of being told what it must do by people who do not themselves seem to be sufficiently committed and that that underlines the importance of the multilateral approach?